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by PuggleFiclets (Pugglemuggle)



Series: Merlin One-Shot Collection - Summer Pornathon [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Dumb boys being dumb, M/M, Meta, Mutual Pining, Pining, Video Cameras, YouTube, Youtuber AU, dares, sex on camera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-08-30 18:13:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8543818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pugglemuggle/pseuds/PuggleFiclets
Summary: Or, the one where Arthur and Merlin are Youtubers, roommates, and... something more?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written during the [Merlin Summer Pornathon](http://summerpornathon.livejournal.com/) of 2014 for Challenge Six: Cycles. I was number 39. You can see the rest of the entries for that challenge [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2064999). I think my entry was in a three-way tie for second place in my group.
> 
> This entry has been modified slightly from the one I originally submitted two years ago. Enjoy!

After four years of video blogging, Merlin Emrys, a.k.a. MagicalMerlin, is considered to be a fairly popular YouTuber by most standards. He believes that the key to his success lies not in his British accent or his unusually high cheekbones, but in the hard work he puts into churning out quality videos. Over the years, he’s perfected his process of video creation, which occurs in five basic steps. These steps are as follows:

***

1\. Inspiration

Scrolling through his tumblr tag turns out to be a bad idea.

He already knows that fans think he and his roommate are a couple. Ever since he and Arthur met at Vidcon last year and started splitting rent, fans have been convinced that Merlin and Arthur Penn (a.k.a. kingarthurofawesome) are in some kind of secret relationship. On tumblr, it isn’t even speculation—it’s considered fact.

Currently, one of the trending posts in his fanbase is a gifset from one of his latest videos with Arthur. Apparently, when Arthur left the room to grab something from the kitchen, Merlin had turned to stare at his arse.

Fuck.

Merlin didn’t notice that part when he edited the video a couple days ago, but it’s painfully apparent when looped in .gif format all over the internet. Someone even made a post to set the image side-by-side with the other “Merthur” gifs from earlier this year: the one where Arthur spoon-feeds him Nutella, the one where Arthur draws a cock on his face in Sharpie, the one where Arthur tickles him until he falls off the couch....

Merlin closes tumblr and leans back, running his hands through his hair.

...Is he really that obvious?

***

2\. Scripting

In the end, he decides to make another Dare or Dare video. Those are always popular.

He’s scrolling through the comments on the previous video to find a few good fan-submitted challenges when Arthur comes up behind him, peering over his shoulder.

“Another dare one?”

“Mm-hm.”

Arthur takes a couple moments to read, and Merlin stays absolutely still. He’s hyperaware of Arthur’s breath on his ear and the warm hand on his shoulder.

Then Arthur gestures forward, pointing at one of the comments on the screen. “I’d like to try that one. Looks fun—for me, I mean. Not fun for you.” He straightens and walks to the kitchen.

 _I dare Arthur to stuff 10 ice cubes down Merlin’s underwear, while Merlin is wearing nothing but the underwear,_ Merlin reads.

He stares, feeling his heart beat faster and his face heat up.

Arthur’s suggestion does _not_ get added to the list.

***

3\. Filming

“Come on, let me choose one. It’s not fair if you get to pick them all,” says Arthur, reaching over Merlin on the bed to commandeer the MacBook. He looks for a while before grinning straight at the camera. “Here’s a good one, Merlin. TheMerlinFangirl6 from San Francisco says, ‘I dare you to kiss each other, el-oh-el, ex-dee.’”

There’s a pause.

“What?” Merlin asks hazily.

“They dared us to kiss.”

“No, I mean—”

But Merlin isn’t prepared for Arthur to get that close. He’s not prepared for Arthur’s eyes, or Arthur’s breath on his face, or Arthur’s _lips..._.

His lips are soft. Merlin expects Arthur to pull away after that, but he doesn’t. Instead, his lips _move_ , parting slightly to let his tongue roam into Merlin’s mouth. There’s a blinking red light trying to tell them that the camera is still recording, but Merlin can’t bring himself to care. He’s kissing _back_ , goddammit, and his hand is sliding underneath Arthur’s shirt, and Arthur’s hands are clutching at Merlin’s hair and grabbing Merlin’s thigh and _fuck_ , he’s been craving this since day one.

“Didn’t expect the dare to work,” Arthur says breathlessly against Merlin’s ear. Then the hand on his thigh moves higher to palm Merlin’s cock through his trousers.

“ _Shit,_ pants Merlin. His fingers scrape across Arthur’s shoulders as they kiss and kiss and kiss until they’re both hard and gasping.

Arthur’s fingers find the zip on Merlin’s jeans. “Can I—”

“Yeah, yes, _God_ yes—”

And then Arthur’s hand is on his cock, and Merlin can’t speak another word.

***

4\. Editing

“What are you doing?”

“Cutting some of the footage from yesterday to keep my channel PG.”

“Keep it in.”

Merlin gives him a look.

“Not all of it, obviously. Just the snogging.”

“Well...” he begins, but then he thinks, why not?

Why not give the fans what they want?

***

5\. Posting

“I tried to make you all another Dare or Dare video,” Merlin’s voice says through computer speakers all over the world, “but... well, you’ll see what happened.”

Needless to say, the internet goes wild.

**Author's Note:**

> ...Am I the only one left in the Merlin fandom? If you're still here and you're reading this, then, well... good on you. It's pretty lonely over here.


End file.
